Divine Sins
by Aoi Nikko
Summary: RikuSora A gift for Dark Ki! A test of faith may be too much for Sora to bear...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** The characters from Kingdom Hearts belong to SquareEnix and Disney. The characters from Final Fantasy belong to SquareEnix alone. I own nothing but this story.

**Warning: This is a dark, supernatural tale containing violence and yaoi. If you are not into this sort of thing, I advise that you click the back button and find something more suitable to your tastes. **

Summary: YAOI, RikuxSora.

Hello there! Welcome to the first chapter of Divine Sins, a giftfic for Dark Ki. Once you finish with my own sorry work, you should take a look at her stories, for they are more then worth your time!

This is the tame version of Divine Sins, meaning there are no lemons here, kids. If you wish to read the full version you may do so at or Sins

Prologue: The creation, part one

_The sound of tortured sobbing echoes through a dilapidated, single-roomed stone building sheltering two individuals seeking cover from the hot morning sun._

_One of them, a female dressed in a diaphanous_ _gown as dark as the midnight sky and decorated with silver stars, sits with a regal air on the once magnificent gray marble floor, and stares at the thin beams of golden sunlight that filter in through the crumbling roof._

_A boy lies sprawled upon the floor, his head buried in the female's lap. She strokes her hands through his hair comfortingly, murmuring softly._

"_In the beginning…" She says in a melodious voice, "…there was the Void. The Void, feeling as though something was missing, created two lovers to give it joy and named them Order and Chaos. Order loved Chaos but despised his nature, and Chaos loved Order but secretly wished her more like him. The two argued for so long that Order grew weary and fell into a deep slumber. Whilst she slumbered, Chaos came onto her and they conceived a child, their daughter, the first goddess. _

_This goddess was a cheerful child, she loved to dance and sing and play, but her world was empty except for her parents and the Void in which they all lived. She voiced her concerns to her parents, but they were arguing and could help her not. _

_The Void heard the goddess's woes and whispered to her its advice: simply make something to amuse herself with, as the Void had done with her parents. Under the tutelage of the Void, the young goddess began to create and shape matter into the form of a ball._

_The ball grew in size until the young goddess could walk upon it, and as she did she began to create things that could live there and give her joy. Her breath became the air and her tears became the sea, but it was not enough for her. She did not know what else to do, and her frustration caused the world's very first storm. In the wake of that storm rose the black earth, as wild and untamed as the storm that spawned it. _

_Delighted with this new creation, the goddess rested her hands upon it to still it, her grace creating life for this new sphere of existence—all kinds of plants as well as creatures that could soar the skies, swim the seas, and traverse the land._

_Finally, the goddess created children that would watch over all the others, children that could use her powers to protect the weaker children of this new world. They were similar to her in shape, and were wiser than their lesser brothers and sisters. _

_Finally, the goddess was satisfied. All was as she wished it to be._

…_But that was not to last…"_

Chosen

Part one

Nothing in all his eleven years of being trained to be a Journeyman Shalieon could have prepared the young apprentice Sora for the pandemonium surrounding him. No history book or simulation could possibly have equipped him to handle the sight of the small, nameless town where he and his instructor had stayed for a few days being ravaged by flames, its citizens screaming for loved ones as they raced in panic to safety..

He was not prepared to see those loved ones crushed under the heels of their own neighbors. He was not prepared to see children as they lay lifeless upon the ground.

Black smoke filled the air, making it difficult to breathe, which only added to the frenzied panic surrounding him. Clutching a set of amethyst prayer beads in his left hand, Sora tried to call out for his instructor, but he could not even hear _himself_ over the chaos gripping the village.

The crowd forced him up against a building partially engulfed by flames, and all his attempts to escape before the flames reached him were continuously fruitless. He called for his instructor again, only to have the smoke from the fire choke off the cry, sending him coughing and gasping for air. He had no time to search for his instructor _now_.

Sora backed away from the approaching flames as best as he could, hastily stringing his prayer beads through his fingers. "_Sweep aside the ashes of old; blow gently, oh children born of the goddess's **breath**._"

The last word was spoken with quiet authority, and the amethyst beads glowed with a soft white light as a brisk wind picked up, becoming strong enough to lift Sora above the crowd when he jumped into the air. He glided over to the roof of a nearby building still untouched by flames and looked around for his instructor again.

"Lady Yuna…where are you?"

As he searched, the roof suddenly burst into flames, startling Sora so badly he nearly fell into the crowd below. He commanded the winds to catch him just as he began to lose his balance, and he glided away on his back, expression turning grim.

There was no way that could have happened _naturally_. As he gave it further thought, everything suddenly all made sense.

He remembered that the fire had started without warning, just as it had then. He and his instructor had been gathered in a small, empty storehouse along with several villagers for afternoon prayer when the first screams of panic had filled the air. Sora remembered not even having the chance to wonder what was going on before the walls of the room had exploded with a fiery burst, sending everyone to the ground from the force.

And yet, no one had suffered any burns, and the walls had remained intact. They were covered in flames, but after the explosion they should have been in ruins. Sora had been too preoccupied with the sudden chaos to properly notice what had been going on, but he realized it now.

Someone was playing a very nasty game. And unless he stopped it, the people of the village would trample themselves to death.

If there even _were_ any villagers.

Landing on a nearby roof and ignoring the flames that engulfed it, Sora twisted his beads around his wrist before raising the hand attached high above his head.

"_Though the darkness deceives my sight, what it hides the goddess's light can **reveal**!_"

The prayer beads burst into a brilliant radiance at his command, sending waves of pure white light away from the apprentice Shalieon's body. The air shifted and Sora could see a very fine mist surrounding the town he had not been able to see before. His eyes narrowed as his suspicions were confirmed.

"I thought so." He hissed under his breath, pulling his beads from his wrist and stringing them through his fingers. "The fire and explosions are all illusions!"

Thinking more on it, the way the fire began—the very way it spread was unnatural. Someone had to have prayed for the light goddess's power in order to do it, but only a Shalieon priest trained in the ways of battle—a Journeyman—could command the spirits that control fire.

And a Shalieon could not attack innocent people; the light goddess would _never_ allow it.

Quickly, Sora recalled his instructor's teachings of the two religions fighting for dominance over this world and the powers granted to the followers. Those who obey the goddess of light were granted powers of light, fire and wind…but those who followed the goddess of darkness, the Saegin, could command darkness, earth and _water_.

The mist was the cause of the illusion; so there had to be a Saegin nearby controlling the water spirits. As long as the mist remained, there was no way he would find his instructor. He had to sweep it away, and he knew _exactly_ how to do that.

"_Children born of the goddess's **breath**, dispel the darkness of deception that envelops this land!_"

A brisk wind obeyed the young apprentice's command, swirling out to drive back the mist from the area. The flames dissolved away as it was driven back, again proving Sora's theory of the illusion.

"Well, looks like I was slightly less then perfect."

Sora turned to see another person standing on the same roof he was on, dressed in robes of the darkest ebony, his face veiled away by a deep hood. A ball of water used to create the illusion was slowly dripping through his cupped hands to the roof below, but there was a smile on his pale face despite his powers being dispelled.

"How did you notice it wasn't real? I created a mild earthquake to simulate the shock from the explosion, included shadow movement in my illusion and I even caused the mist to thicken around you to make you think that it was smoke making it hard to breathe."

Sora stared at the figure in black impassionedly, gripping his prayer beads as his mind worked on what to do to get him out of this situation. He was ill prepared to face down a Saegin, and it was also against the rules. He was to locate his instructor and use every resource at his disposal to get to her side.

However, the Saegin would not let him simply run away. Sora needed a distraction.

"Heat."

The Saegin frowned. "What?"

"The fire had no heat." Sora looked around without turning his head, trying to find his instructor. "And the fire did not move as fire should. It does not behave the way you think it does."

The figure stood there for a moment and then laughed softly. "Leave it to a Shalieon to understand the nature of a destructive power such as flame." He took a step forward, lifting a hand dripping with prayer beads of bloodstone. "Though I am curious to see how complete your _control_ is. From the look of it, you're just an apprentice—a little Windsinger, aren't you?"

Sora did not reply, he simply strung his beads through his fingers and loosely interlaced them, readying the commands to the wind spirits that still linger near him. "_Sweep aside the—_"

"**_Dance!_**"

The earth began to shake and roll, roughly tossing the building from side to side and spilling Sora from the roof to the ground below. Thankfully, a few stacked crates were there to break his fall and keep his descent from causing him to break a limb or two, but he would have quite a few bruises in the morning, and he may have sprained his right arm.

"That Saegin…" Sora gasped as he struggled to his feet, "…was able to command the spirits of earth without first addressing them or his goddess?" Such a thing was unheard of!

The earth rumbled yet again, and Sora noticed the Saegin had forced the earth to rise to him as a platform so he could step upon it and lower himself safely to the ground. "Something the matter? Never got that far in your studies to know a Chosen when you encounter one?"

Chosen? One selected by a goddess to do her will? Was that what he was facing? Sora gripped his now throbbing right arm as his mind worked on a plan of escape. Whether or not this Saegin was indeed a chosen, he was clearly outmatched.

And no one was more sure of this fact then the Saegin.

"What could the _Mahatma _of the Shalieon be thinking, allowing a little Windsinger like you out in the open so woefully untrained?" The Saegin tsked, shaking his head. His voice sounded amused, and it grated on Sora's nerves.

"This _was_ a peaceful village, suitable for training…until you came!" Sora hissed, twitching a little at the nickname. He twisted his beads around and draped them over his loosely interlaced fingers.

"There is no such thing as a suitable place for training outside the temples." The Saegin took a step forward, becoming impressed when the young Shalieon apprentice did not back away. "Your goddess knows this but doesn't care. Why do you serve such a deity when she obviously cares so little for the well-being of her flock?"

Sora snorted, it wouldn't do to get into an argument with a Saegin, their minds would never change. The Saegin watched him carefully for a moment, then lowered his head with an amused smile.

"Fine then, how about I prove how little you're worth to her?" He took another step closer. "Call her. Call out to your goddess. If you matter to her, even a little, she _will_ answer." The Saegin then lifted the hand entwined with his bloodstone prayer beads. "_**Growth.**"_

The ground trembled at Sora's feet and he jumped back just as several large vines shot from the ground.

Fire would be ideal in this situation, but not only did the one command he knew take too long for him to say, he also did not have permission to use it. Apprentices were not allowed to command fire spirits, it would be too easy for them to hurt themselves and others.

Yet, he had to do _something_. Under the direction of the dark priest, the vines shot toward Sora again who commanded the winds to aid his avoiding jump.

"What's the matter? Call your goddess!"

Sora dodged another attack, jumping over one vine and sliding under another. "I will not obey the likes of you!" He lifted his hands to command the winds again, but a vine curled around his wrists and hauled him up into the air. It carried his struggling body over to the Saegin who watched calmly from under his hood.

"Are you afraid she won't come to your aid? Are you afraid that you've been lied to all your life?"

"Shut up!" Sora hissed. "Let me go!"

"Why, so you can return to your life of lies? So you can become another pawn, living in light so bright you can't see the truth before you?"

"You're the one living a lie! The dark goddess tempts you with honeyed words of a life with no rules…but such a life with of no restraint will only cause you to destroy yourselves!"

"If I am wrong…then prove it to me. Call the light goddess to save you."

Instead of replying, Sora twisted his legs to the right, swinging them out to the left with all his might, catching the Saegin in the side of his head and knocking him to the ground. Not expecting the attack, the dark robed figure released his control over the vines and Sora dropped to the ground, running as soon as his feet hit the ground.

Infuriated, the Saegin shot a hand out with a snarl. "**_Dance!_**" The ground trembled and shook, splitting to allow sharp stalagmites to shoot up from the ground, heading in the direction Sora was running. "If you need the situation to become more serious," he snarled, "I will be more than happy to oblige you!"

"Whoa!" Sora managed to stop just as a long and thin stalagmite shot up in front of him, and he lifted a leg to kick it free from the ground, twirling it like a staff and turning to face his opponent.

"Children of the goddess's **breath**, shield me from evil!" With that, Sora slammed his makeshift staff onto the ground. A powerful wind kicked up, swirling around the apprentice Shalieon with a tornado's force. Sora struggled to remain in control, should his concentration falter, even for a second, the winds would level a large part of the village.

The Saegin watched with growing respect. Perhaps the little apprentice was not so woefully untrained, for this was a powerful shield indeed. But, no matter how strong the wind, there was always a mountain that could stand up to it.

Commanding the spirits as he had before, the Saegin created a thick cone of rock in the middle of Sora's shield. The young apprentice willed the winds to swirl faster, but try as he might he could not crush the stone doorway created by his enemy. He only had a few options— he could expand the shield which would cause him to lose control and destroy the part of the village he was in, drop the shield which would give the Saegin a chance to attack, or he could strengthen the shield with the help of another element.

As the Saegin stepped nearer to walk through the rock doorway, Sora decided that the last option was looking the best at the moment. He took a steadying breath and lifted the staff from the ground, holding it tightly in both hands.

"_Children of the dark one take warning! _All_ shadows scatter when faced with the goddess of light's **wrath**!_"

Flames erupted suddenly, startling both Saegin and Shalieon apprentice as the wind shield became a massive cyclone of fire. The Saegin stumbled back, shielding his face with his sleeve. After a moment, he peered over his raised arm to stare grimly at the scene before him. He backed away again, mostly because the heat was so great, still shielding his face.

"Unbelievable…!"

The fact that the spirits would create something so powerfully destructive for this boy was simply astonishing. His goddess was indeed with him, there was no mistake. If allowed, there was no doubt that this child could one day become the next _Mahatma _of the Shalieon.

_If _he was allowed…which he would not be. The light goddess did not deserve this talented little Windsinger.

And she would have nothing to do with one who had been tainted by the darkness…

"**_Tears_**."

A massive crack appeared in the ground at the Saegin's feet and the earth trembled. All fell silent for a moment and then a mighty ball of groundwater erupted from the crack in the earth and shot toward the fire shield, effectively dousing it.

Sora managed a cry of surprise before the water closed around him, the attack happened too fast for him to be able to do anything else. He tried to fight his way out of the water bubble surrounding him, but the Saegin calmly controlled the currents inside, pushing him back the more he struggled.

"Come now, it's only a matter of time…"

The Saegin watched, feeling a little nervous. Surely the apprentice's instructor heard the battle as it took place, and even if she hadn't, she had to have seen the light of the fire shield. He had to leave here quickly, dealing with a full-fledged Journeyman was much more difficult to deal with then an apprentice.

Soon the boy's struggles slowed to nothing, and he slumped over, passing out from lack of oxygen. The Saegin dispelled the water bubble, catching the sopping wet boy before he fell to the ground. He lifted him easily in his arms and made sure he was breathing fine before turning to escape the scene before the apprentice's instructor decided to show herself.

Sora stirred, feeling chilled and uncomfortable. His body felt heavy and unresponsive as he groggily opened his eyes to look around.

He coughed a few times and groaned, wanting to roll over and find a more comfortable position on the flat, glassy surface he was lying on, but was unable to get his body to move. Opening his eyes weakly, he wondered where he was and why he felt this way.

The room was dark and the air smelled spicy and sweet, but he could not place the fragrance. There was a light on his right side and he forced his sluggish muscles to turn his head toward it.

Seated on a wooden base, no more than a foot away, sat a statue of a woman dressed in a gown with voluminous folds. Her arms were held straight out from her body, with her hands cupped as if she were offering something. Her hair was long and was carved in soft waves all the way to the wooden base it sat upon.

Sora noticed a large silver dish filled with a burning incense in her cupped hands—the source of the mysterious aroma filling the room.

The sight froze Sora's blood—the statue was of the dark goddess.

The Saegin had taken him captive instead of killing him, but for what? He had not given his opponent any cause to think he was dissatisfied with his goddess as far as he could tell. So why hadn't he been killed?

A loud scraping noise caused Sora to struggle and turn his head the opposite way, where a large set of doors were opening to let a robed figure carrying a bottle filled with a gold liquid into the room. Sora strained to see through the smoke; was it the one who had taken him captive, or was it someone else?

The doors closed behind the figure, and it moved toward Sora slowly, its movements so smooth it seemed to glide across the floor.

"So have you called out to _her_ yet?"

There was no mistaking the voice. It was indeed the Saegin Sora had fought in the village. "Unng…" He was all he was able to manage, he still felt too enervated to do anything else.

"I'm sorry, I forgot. The incense saps your will to move." The Saegin lowers his hood, the soft material sliding over hair the color of a full, midnight moon. His aqua-green eyes glittered with something dark and wicked, and Sora was suddenly very, very afraid. There was something behind his gaze, some hidden knowledge that only he knew, something that could destroy the world as he knew it…

The Saegin placed the bottle he had been carrying down by Sora's head, and lowered his other hand to sift through Sora's hair, smiling when smaller boy managed a slight shudder.

"It keeps you nice and quiet, relaxes the muscles, and helps make you more… amenable." The hand lowered to cup Sora's face. "Though, I'm sure you must be terrified and very curious as to what is going to happen to you."

Sora would have pulled away from the Saegin's touch had he been able. He wanted to ask questions, but settled on running one of the many prayers he had to memorize through his mind, trying to comfort himself and calm himself down. If they killed him he would only go on to his goddess in peace…

But that was not what was planned for him, no. In fact, death may have been preferable.

The hand caressing Sora's cheek began to slowly slide down the boy's body to his hips, and Sora realized for the first time that he was nude. His bottom lip trembled a little. The Saegin could not possibly mean to—

There was a shuffling of cloth as Sora's captor removed the cloak covering his shoulders, pulling it away to reveal a pale, naked body that was so flawless, it could have been carved from alabaster. It was clear that the Saegin _did_ mean exactly what Sora had feared he did.

He was going to be defiled. He was going to be horribly and terrifyingly defiled.

Sighing contentedly, Riku nuzzled his captive's shoulder as he waited for a measure of strength to return so he could move them both somewhere more comfortable. Sora was crying silently, most likely from the mystical star-shaped mark Riku had carved into his back that bound them together. The Saegin ignored his Windsinger's tears…he still had to plan his next move.

Riku would allow Sora to rest here in the shrine for the night, then they would go travel to the temple he had lived most of his life so Riku could present his prize to the _Mahatma _of the Saegin. This unplanned act was sure to get him named next in line, especially if the boy renounced the light goddess before they reached their destination.

Mindful of the fact that Sora still couldn't move, Riku moved off of him and wrapped him securely in the thick cloak.

"Will you tell me your name?" he asked gently. The boy only squeezed his eyes shut and cried harder, forcing his head to look away. Riku's eyes softened in understanding. "Some other time, then."

Sora felt Riku gather him into his arms and pull him from the alter he could then see was cut from obsidian. Riku was murmuring to him again, his breath warm as it tickled Sora's scalp, sounding as if the Saegin was trying to soothe a frightened child.

Which was exactly what Sora was…

"I've just robbed you of your will, your innocence… I've even marked you as mine and your goddess did nothing." Riku's voice was gentle, but Sora shuddered, wanting to push out of his captive's arms, but he was still unable to move.

He had not been abandoned. The light goddess never abandoned anyone who trusted and believed in her. The mark cut into his back meant nothing. He still belonged to the light goddess and the light goddess alone. This was just a test.

Yes… That was what it was, a test. A test of his faith, and one he would be sure not to fail.

"Abandoned as you are, will you still call upon her? Will you pray to her still? Will you continue to worship her?"

_Yes._ _I will._

"Shh…" Riku soothed, and Sora realized he had begun to tremble noticeably. "It's okay. You'll be fine… It's always a shock at first…"

The fool thought his words had reached him. He thought Sora's mind was changing. How wrong he was.

"Goddess…goddess please…"

…_**Very well…**_

Riku's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What?"

The building gave a sudden sharp shake, causing Riku to turn his head to the door in alarm. He wrapped Sora more securely in his cloak and tossed him over a shoulder to free up an arm for use in case of an attack.

It was a wise precaution, for as soon as he had Sora over his shoulder and his arm raised, the door shook once then exploded off its hinges, sending bits of sharp stone flying into the room.

"**_Rise!_**"

The stone floor shifted and buckled, creating a crude slab of stone to block the flying debris. Fresh air flowed into the room, dispersing the incense sapping Sora's will and helping to clear his mind. A hesitant voice called out into the room, causing hope to bloom in Sora's heart.

"Sora!"

His instructor had found him! "L-Lady Yuna, I'm here!" He began to squirm in Riku's grasp, letting his captor know that he was recovering. He felt Riku's hands tighten around him with bruising force, but he did not stop his attempts to free himself.

"Be quiet and hold still," Riku hissed. The Saegin then pressed a thumb into the wound on his captive's back and with a quiet squeak, Sora stilled. "Use your head! You've been 'defiled'. Do you really think they'll take you back? Let you become a Shalieon?"

The older boy had a point, and Sora fell limp in thought. Believing Sora had finally surrendered, Riku stood up to command the earth so they could escape.

As soon as he did, Sora pulled his hands free of the cloak, placing them flat against the Saegin's back and pushing against it as he pulled his hips back, sliding his body off of Riku's shoulder. He swung his legs back and landed on his feet, facing an astonished Riku.

"You little fool! They'll—"

"I will never surrender to the dark goddess!" Sora hissed, mind feeling refreshingly clear of the incense.

Riku lunged for him, and Sora jumped back, tripping over the cloak wrapped around him. Desperate to escape, he held a hand forward to call the wind spirits, forgetting he was without his prayer beads.

"_Sweep aside the ashes of old; blow gently, oh children of Dona's **breath.**_"

The spirits obeyed him nonetheless. Riku was propelled backwards and he slammed against the slab he had created as a shield, knocking the breath from him.

Behind them, a pretty woman with shoulder-length brown hair held a rod in her hands, parallel to the floor, murmuring softly. Fire spirits scorched the air around Riku and the Saegin knew he had no choice but to flee without Sora.

_For now_.

"**_Melt!_**"

Riku commanded the earth to suck him down into it, right before the air around him exploded into a fiery inferno. Sora shielded his face from the heat, not daring to breathe until his instructor raced across the ruined floor of the shrine and began to check him over.

"Sora, are you okay? I tried to reach you after you broke the illusion, but the people were in such a panic…I couldn't get to you in time. I'm so sorry…did he hurt you?" Yuna pulled Sora into a hug. "Goddess save me, I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you!"

"I…I'm…"

But with the danger over, the stress and pain finally overtook Sora and he fell unconscious in Yuna's arms.

_There was a sun-kissed, grassy plain that stretched as far as the eye could see. The grass stood as tall as a grown man's waist, and held a soft subtle fragrance that reminded anyone who smelled it of happy times and fond memories. White clusters tiny of bell-shaped flowers sparsely dotted the area, swaying gently in the wind._

_Sora stood on the mighty plain, casting no shadow, nothing of his swaying with the wind. It was as if he wasn't even there, like he was a phantom watching from outside of time. _

_He stood there, unmoving, as a great shadow began to sweep across the plain. At first it seemed to only be a cloud, but when he looked up he saw a massive mechanized construct of some sort sailing gracefully through the skies, the bottom covered by what looked like hundreds of gray banners each curling and dancing on the wind to an unheard melody._

"_The City of a Thousand Shrouds…" a young, child-like voice said from behind the small brunet. "Don't you remember it, Sora?"_

_Sora turned, but no one was there. The voice sounded familiar but he could not place it. "Who—?"_

"_The place where everything began. You've seen it before. Do you remember?"_

"_Who are you?"_

"_Try to remember, Sora…"_

"Sora?"

Sora awakened to someone calling his name and shaking him gently. "Mmm…?" He mumbled sleepily, stretching. Wincing almost immediately, he felt pain over every part of his body; the past events came flooding back and he shuddered, feeling filthy as well.

"Sora, I've brought us to a small temple several miles east of the town we were attacked. I will ask the Shalieon presiding for shelter for a few days so you can rest."

"Is there a Communion Spring here?" Sora asked, referring to the hip deep pool of water blessed by a priest where one could purify themselves and commune with their goddess. Yuna placed a gentle hand upon Sora's head.

"I will ask."

Something was definitely wrong.

Yuna sat by the window of the tiny guestroom she had been shown to by the Shalieon priest that ran the temple, waiting for Sora to return.

Her student was a happy, curious and energetic boy, confident in his skills, but knowing his limits. He was dependable in times of trouble, and wanted only to help others. Sora was everything Yuna could want in an apprentice.

He was, however, naïve about the ways of the world, and the fact that he was an incredibly fast learner made him act a little reckless at times.

Breaking the illusion was what made Sora catch the Saegin's attention in the first place, and Yuna would have preferred to have left it alone. An illusion of that caliber required much concentration, and the Saegin would have had to remain in one spot to direct the spirits and the energy emanating from him would have led Yuna to him eventually.

Sora though, had broke the illusion, something an apprentice of his rank should not have been ready to do yet. The Saegin surely had seen Sora as a threat, but why had he carried Sora away? Any Saegin would have killed Sora on the spot. Did Sora do something else to show how gifted he was? If so, it may have been intended for Sora to be a sacrifice. Yuna closed her eyes.

"Lady Journeyman!"

Yuna jerked out of her chair as a young boy ran through the door, his expression hurried and urgent. She reached for her rod, immediately expecting trouble.

"What is wrong!"

"Please come with me!" the boy said, tugging her sleeve. "It's your apprentice!"

Yuna's heart fell and she followed the boy through the temple, hearing a thin, otherworldly wail echo through the halls. She paused for a second, listening in complete awe.

_The spirits…they're…crying?_ Yuna hurried on, wondering what this could mean. Spirits would very rarely try to communicate, and they were never bothered much by things that did not directly effect them.

So why…?

As Yuna continued through the temple, she soon heard a muffled screaming coming from behind a thick wooden door. Yuna pushed past the young boy, not bothering to apologize, and threw open the door to race into the room. She took a sharp breath at the scene before her, frozen momentarily in shock.

Sora was kneeled on the floor covered in blood. Holding a scrubbing brush in his hand, he rubbed furiously at his skin and sobbed, scouring his skin so hard that he caused himself to bleed. Yuna could not see any skin for all the blood, yet he only continued to scrub harder, causing himself more injury.

Yuna turned, pushed the acolyte out of the room, and firmly shut the door. She then ran over to Sora, nearly tripping over her robes in haste.

"Sora! Sora, what are you _doing_? Stop this!"

"I can't…." Sora sobbed, shrinking in on himself, scrubbing ever more vigorously. "I can't get him _off_ me! I…I-I can't get him…I can't…get him…."

Yuna yanked the brush from her apprentice's hands, but he only lunged for it again, the spirits in the room shrieking so loudly that it hurt Yuna's ears. Something had to be done. Sora was too hysterical for her to try and reason with him, and the spirits were more then loud enough to be distracting.

Wasting no more time, Yuna pulled her citrine prayer beads off of her belt. "_Spirits born of the goddess's **breath**, fall silent and obey!_" The wailing silenced, and Yuna took a breath of relief. Holding a struggling Sora at bay, she laid a hand upon his face. "_Press this one into a sweet slumber, to heal his mind, let him rest._"

Sora had no time to be surprised or even take another breath—he slipped into sleep as soon as the command was said, and Yuna caught him as he fell to the floor, lowering him gently. She grabbed a nearby bowl used for rinsing off and turned to the pool of water nearby, filling it and returning to Sora to wash the blood away so she could heal him.

When she had done she called upon the light goddess herself to heal her apprentice, then found the simple white robe that had been provided to Sora for him to wear until he had his old clothing replaced.

As she tugged the soft garment over Sora's head, she noticed that a wound on his back hadn't healed properly, and it left a strange, star-shaped scar.

"Goddess, no…"

Yuna recognized that symbol. The Saegin had not been trying to sacrifice Sora. The Saegin had been trying to convert him. Her cheerful, energetic, promising young apprentice had had his innocence stolen from him and had been marked as belonging to the dark ones.

She had not reached him in time. She had been too late.

"Sora…" She sobbed softly, knowing what this meant. By the holy laws of the Shalieon, Sora had to be put to death, released from this torment and sent to the light goddess in peace.

But…

Sora did not deserve that. He was still loyal to the light goddess, he attacked the Saegin who had abducted him, came with her, and wanted to purify himself. He remained still in the service of the light goddess.

And the spirits had cried for Sora, as if he was one of their own.

"Oh, Sora…"

No.

Sora would not be put to death. Yuna looked at the door, thinking. She was the only one who had seen the mark, the only ones who knew of its existence besides herself was Sora and the Saegin. Sora could be spared and Yuna would complete his training, and then her apprentice could protect himself and live in peace.

But the problem was that mark. It would allow the Saegin to find Sora, and Sora would feel him when he was nearby. It linked Sora to the darkness, and judging by how Sora acted just now in trying to clean himself, Sora could not handle that burden.

Yuna tugged the simple robe down, turning Sora to lie on his stomach. She silently lifted her rod from the floor and strung her prayer beads around her left hand. The mark was a powerful Saegin symbol, but dark powers could be sealed away. No one had ever attempted to seal a mark, but Yuna was going to try. Sora's life depended on it.

Standing, Yuna held her rod up vertically, over the mark on Sora's back. She concentrated for a second, her beads glowing a soft white.

"_**I evoke the rite of the sacred circle**! Spirits of wind, fire, light and life hear me!_"

The light coming from Yuna's beads grew brighter, and tiny white, red, gold and violet spirits began to glow, responding to the Journeyman's call. The spot on Sora's back beneath the staff began to glow a bright blue, and a few water and earth spirits appeared as if to stop her. Yuna ignored them—she had expected resistance.

"_Servants of the light goddess, combine thy might! Bury the darkness that lingers here, seal away that which should not be!_"

The blue light coming from Sora's back grew brighter, but the spirits that had responded to Yuna's call were too great in number and it slowly dimmed, being replaced by glowing white symbols joined together in a small circle. The spirits gathered by Sora after a while as if to look upon him, and then they shot from the room and vanished from sight.

Everything was perfectly still after a few seconds. Yuna's beads stopped glowing, as did the seal on Sora's back. Yuna took a relieved breath. It had worked, and Sora would not have to die. She turned wearily to the door and opened it, calling for an acolyte to come and assist her in bringing Sora to the guest room to rest.

Riku stood before the _Mahatma_ of the Saegin, head high, eyes expressionless as he explained why the acolytes in the shrine he was responsible for were all killed. If he was lucky, his reasons of why he was too distracted to notice the Journeyman Shalieon would be found acceptable and he would not be punished.

He finished his story and stood silently, waiting for the judgment of the _Mahatma_, his expression giving nothing away. It was tragic what happened to the acolytes under his care, but he had already gone back to the shrine and gave them all proper burials, commending their souls to the dark goddess. He had already grieved and done what he could for them. Now, he wanted to make sure their lives were not lost for nothing.

"So you were in the midst of converting a Shalieon apprentice." The _Mahatma's_ rich and commanding voice carried through the large room. "Did you complete the conversion?"

"No." Riku answered honestly, "I took him and marked him, but he still remains loyal to the light goddess."

"And why did you feel you should waste time converting this child?"

Riku paused, thinking of a good way to answer. "The way the spirits acted for him…he was unusually skilled for him to only be an apprentice. If left alone, he may have been chosen as the _Mahatma_ of the Shalieon."

"All the more reason to kill him."

Riku clenched his jaw in frustration. "The water spirits themselves tried to protect him. If converted, he would be a skilled Saegin." Riku did not discover this until he was just about to take the little Windsinger, but the _Mahatma_ did not need to know that.

The room was silent for a long time, the leader of the Saegin staring at Riku from under his deep hood.

"If you've marked him, they will not hesitate to kill him when they discover it. You had better hurry if you intend to convert him."

Riku took a breath and lowered his head, recognizing that his actions met with the _Mahatma's_ approval and being grateful for it.

"By your leave then, Your Holiness…" He turned quickly and raced from the room, determined not to waste this chance. He did not have much time to try and save his Windsinger's life.

Night had fallen over the Shalieon temple where Sora and Yuna were staying. Sora was sleeping deeply in one of the narrow beds of the guest room, but Yuna was kneeled by the window, eyes closed in prayer. All was silent and still, nothing interrupting the serenity of the room.

A gentle breeze drifted into the room and Sora curled into a ball, murmuring a little in his sleep, but not interrupting Yuna's prayer. The moonlight pooled into a single glowing spot on the floor, pulsing gently as words were spoken.

_**Thy teacher prays for thy deliverance, as does my first born children.**_

Sora shivered slightly, curling up tighter. Yuna remained at prayer, unable to hear the words.

_**Both believe thy faith is pure, but I am not yet convinced.**_

The light began to glow steadily, as if in thought for a moment, then began to pulse gently again.

…_**I shall test thy faith one more time…**_

…**_To see if you can make _me_ believe…_**

The light then went back to normal, and all was quiet again, but it did not last. Yuna paused in her prayer, her senses on alert and she stood, moving to poke her head out of the window, slowly winding her prayer beads around her left hand in preparation of an attack.

"What…what _is_ this!" Yuna cried, looking out of the window. The entire building was covered in thick green vines that were still growing—they looked as if they were trying to seal the building so no one could get in or out. Yuna backed away, turning to the narrow bed where her apprentice lay, immediately understanding what was happening.

"Oh no…" She whispered softly, moving to shake the boy awake. "_So—!_"

Eight leafy vines shot into the room, winding around Yuna's nose and mouth before pulling her out of the window as it wrapped tightly around her body to keep her from struggling. Yuna managed a muffled cry, but it was not enough to awaken Sora's spirit-induced sleep. She was dragged through the window and hauled up the outer walls of the temple, then hung from the highest roof in her cocoon-like prison, unable to wiggle free.

Though Yuna was in very real danger of suffocation, her prayers were for the boy still lying asleep in the room below. _Goddess, don't let this happen to him again!_ _Please, protect him!_

Back in the temple's guest chambers, Sora's sleep was dreamless, and he was free of pain, safely tucked into merciful oblivion. Wind spirits still lingered near the slumbering apprentice, floating around his head to maintain his untroubled sleep as they had been called upon to do. Under normal circumstances they would have continued until the sleeper was well rested, but this time, however…

The wind spirits scattered suddenly, and Sora stirred shortly after they had left, eyebrows knitting together as he began to wake. He reached up to rub at his eyes, and a low chuckle caused him to pause, suddenly too afraid to move. He lowered his hand slowly, his wide and frightened blue eyes immediately meeting the amused gaze of Riku. The older male was hovering over Sora, his hands by both sides of the boy's head.

Sora began to tremble slightly, and when Riku lowered himself to lie flush atop the younger boy's body, he began to struggle wildly, desperate to escape. Riku grabbed the smaller boy's wrists and pinned them to the bed, forcing his legs in between Sora's and grinding his hips down, earning himself a terrified squeak from the boy beneath him.

Riku grinned at him, amused by the fear and struggling, then lowered his lips to Sora's ear.

"Hello, Windsinger."

High above the temple, lightning crackled with the absence of clouds, gathering into a ball which burst into a golden flame. The ball burned in place for a few seconds before a powerful downdraft propelled it downward with a frightening speed. It crashed through the roof and down to the lower floor.

And all was silent for a few seconds, and then the entire temple, illuminated with a golden light, exploded.

_Author's Nonsense:_

_The author's note is at the end of the second part. You can review both parts if you wish, I won't mind. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** The characters from Kingdom Hearts belong to SquareEnix and Disney. The characters from Final Fantasy belong to SquareEnix alone. I own nothing but this story.

**Warning: This is a dark, supernatural tale containing violence and yaoi. If you are not into this sort of thing, I advise that you click the back button and find something more suitable to your tastes. **

Summary: YAOI, RikuxSora.

Hello there! Welcome to the first chapter of Divine Sins, a giftfic for Dark Ki. Once you finish with my own sorry work, you should take a look at her stories, for they are more then worth your time!

This is the tame version of Divine Sins, meaning there are no lemons here, kids. If you wish to read the full version you may do so at or Sins

Chosen

Part Two

"Nnnn…"

Journeyman Yuna pushed off the heavy weight pinning her to the ground with a groan. She shook her head, trying to clear it. Her entire body was a solid mass of pain.

"What…what happened?"

She had been held fast by the green vines covering the temple, struggling to free herself. Just as she had began to feel dizzy from lack of oxygen, the vines around her head had suddenly loosened. After she was able to fill her lungs, she noticed a young acolyte of the temple cutting her loose from the vines that held her.

When enough had been cut that she could free her hands, Yuna tore through the rest, pulling herself through the window the acolyte was hanging out of. Together they raced through the vine-ridden temple to find and rescue Sora.

Since Yuna dared not use fire on the vines on account the fire would spread to burn the entire temple, their progress was slow and tedious. Yuna then pulled the acolyte out another window where she called the winds to carry them to the bottom floor where she could enter through the window she had been forced out of.

They were only halfway down when the temple exploded, propelling them a good half-mile away. Yuna had mercifully lost consciousness then, unable to feel the pain of landing. She had come around twenty minutes later, bruised, bleeding, and with a few cracked ribs.

The acolyte, however, had not fared so well.

"Goddess, no!" Yuna moved to kneel before the fallen boy whose body had shielded hers from much of the force of the blast. It had not been intended, it was what had kept the Journeyman alive.

A tiny fire spirit fluttered past Yuna's head and she lifted eyes brimming with tears to look at it.

…_Do not weep…_

More fire spirits appeared around Yuna's head, dancing around her and singing.

…_He is with us…_

"What…?" This was the second time in her life Yuna had heard the spirits speak. "Can… you tell me what happened?"

…_You live because you still have a task to carry out for our mother. Follow the sound of our voices—do not dawdle, even though you are injured…_

The tiny wisps of flame vanished from view, but the singing continued. Yuna struggled to her feet and followed, not pausing to heal herself even though each step caused pain to shoot down the length of her body.

"…What happened to Sora? Is he with you too?" She asked them, but they did not answer. They only continued to sing, their voices thin, yet joyful. Yuna followed them up to the top of the hill she had fallen upon, and gaped at the scene before her.

The temple was gone.

In its place was a small sea of white sand, glistening like snow in the light of the silver moon above. More singing was coming from that area, and more fire spirits were dancing around a small figure hunched over in the center.

"Sora—!"

Yuna hobbled down the hill toward the figure as fast as her wounds allowed, tears of relief falling down her cheeks. The sand made it even more difficult to move, but she struggled on, needing now to know her apprentice was indeed alright.

As she neared him, however, the fire spirits would not allow her to get too close. When Yuna reached out a hand, she jerk it back because the fire spirits attacked it.

"Ah! What…?" Yuna gasped, confused. Spirits did not attack unless commanded to do so. What was going on?

The spirits that had led Yuna to this spot reappeared and joined the others.

…_It is alright. Our mother commands this be so…_

Yuna turned her eyes from them to the nude boy sitting on the ground, hunched forward, his hands curled into the sand before him.

"Sora…?" Yuna inched closer, and the fire spirits let her. "Did the Saegin…?"

Sora shook his head slightly. "I don't know." He lifted his head a little. "How many…died?"

Yuna sighed, and closed her eyes. That was not the answer she was looking for, but she let it drop, realizing Sora may not be able to answer. "I'm not sure...but…" There was no way Yuna could protect her apprentice now. This would find its way to the high temple before long.

A single tear, glittering with its own light, fell to the dust before Sora.

"I will reseal the mark for you. After I do so, we must prepare for a long journey. There is nothing I can do now. Word of this will reach the temple, and we will be hunted. I must take you to the high temple and present you to the _Mahatma_."

Sora said nothing. He only stared up at the night sky, still turned away from his instructor.

And the fire spirits continued to dance and sing joyously, even as silent tears fell down Yuna's cheeks.

Preparations did not take long; Yuna resealed the mark and placed her outer robe over her apprentice's shoulders, and then two left for the nearest town where they could purchase plain clothing to travel in. Yuna felt it best that they not travel as Shalieon; disguising themselves would make it difficult for the Saegin after Sora to find him.

Now clad in a simple white shirt and loose brown pants, his feet tucked into sturdy tan traveling boots, Sora would not attract many stares, and the fewer people who noticed him, the better. He kept his prayer beads strung around his left wrist, but his sleeve hid them from view.

Yuna chose a gray traveling dress over a white shirt, and wore her beads around her neck but under her shirt. There wasn't much she could do about her staff, so she wrapped it in a long piece of rough cloth and hoped no one found it too out of the ordinary.

They had waited to change until they had reached a forest, and then had changed directions and exited to the north. Before, they were heading eastward, which was the direction where a major temple was located, but the _Mahatma_ stayed in the main temple which was north. If the Saegin was tracking Sora, Yuna hoped doing this would throw him off of their trail.

Even with these precautions, they moved quickly toward their destination, and for three days they only stopped twice for a brief rest, once for water and once for food.

But they could not keep up that pace forever, as they discovered on the fourth day.

"Lady Yuna…" Sora began, his voice low and heavy with exhaustion, "Can we stop for the night…? I don't think I can keep on this way unless I do…"

Yuna looked down at Sora, feeling her heart twist in her chest at the fatigue in his eyes, and at how he struggled to move. He had not complained once these past three days; instead he prayed constantly to the light goddess, his voice shaking every now and then. He knew, Yuna supposed, what was to be his fate…

"Yes, Sora. We will stop at the next town and stay in the inn. It will be safer to stay in a place where there are many people."

The next town was actually a walled city, and it was late evening by the time they reached it and the gate was being let down. The guards kindly let them slip inside, taking pity on the weariness of both travelers. They pointed out the way to the nearest inn and wished them a good night.

Though his eyes burned from lack of sleep, Sora could not help being curious about this new place he had come to. It was small as walled cities go, but clean, neat and well lit. The night guards were kind, and judging by how they were treated, it seemed this small city was peaceful as well. Sora released a breath, starting to relax a little.

As they approached the inn, Sora spotted a lone figure leaning against the building. He was dressed in a brightly polished blue-silver armor and a long red cape with a high collar that hid his nose and mouth from view. His eyes glowed a molten blue that reminded Sora of water spirits.

When Sora passed him, the man noticed Sora and watched him enter the building with an unwavering gaze. Sora looked away with a small shiver. There was something about his gaze that made him uncomfortable, as if the man knew something that no one else did, something that could forever change the world…

…or destroy it.

It was the same look he had seen in Riku's eyes when he had fought him in that town several days ago, with only one difference. That man's gaze held no trace of superiority; in fact, there was hardly any emotion at all.

Just as he moved to walk into the inn, he risked a glance at the man who was still staring. He pushed off the wall and began to walk away.

"Be careful."

Sora blinked, wondering if the man knew who he was.

"Sora."

Shaking his head, Sora quickly followed after his instructor. Sora was dressed like a simple traveler, so the man was most likely just warning him as most people warned travelers.

Most likely, but it did not feel as if that was what it was.

Not wanting to do anything except sleep, Sora refused any food offered to him. He only shuffled off upstairs to their rented room to collapse into bed. Yuna let him, understanding his exhaustion, and figured he would eat in the morning.

After only a few hours of dreamless sleep, however, Sora's empty stomach woke him in the rudest manner possible, growling loudly and churning unpleasantly. With a soft groan, Sora climbed out of bed and wandered downstairs to see if he could find something in the kitchen. Many inns left a little food out in case a patron grew hungry in the middle of the night as a courtesy. Sora hoped this was one of those inns because his stomach was not going to let him go back to sleep unless there was something in it.

He was in luck—there was a covered basket on the table with some bread and a little cheese, and Sora fixed himself a small sandwich. It would not do to eat too much. If he did, he would have all sorts of strange dreams and Sora was not in the mood. He would just shut his stomach up and go back to sleep, he needed all the rest he could get for the next two days.

Finishing his small snack, Sora cleaned his crumbs off the table and yawned, ready to snuggle back into the soft bed in his room and sleep until morning.

But just as he took the first step toward the door, something in the shadows moved.

"**_Dew._**"

The perimeter of the room was suddenly surrounded in mist with glowing blue water spirits drifting through it quietly in rhythm, as if they were dancing a waltz. Sora spun on his heels, recognizing that calm, confidant voice.

"_You_!"

"Don't bother calling for help. We are behind a shell of silence, Windsinger." Aqua-green eyes gazed out from a hood of dark silk. "And you know I will not allow you to command any spirits either."

"Why are you doing this? What do you want?" Sora demanded, his voice shrill. Why was this Saegin here again? Why had he not he died? Why was his goddess allowing this evil to torment him?

"I would think the answer to those questions were obvious." Riku took a step forward, eyes watching Sora's every move. "Are you sure about the path you have chosen? Will you continue on this way, knowing what is going to happen?"

"I have no other choice."

"Yes you do!" Riku shook his head, knocking his hood from his head. "Come with me. There is no reason for you to march cheerfully towards death!"

"I will not surrender myself to the dark goddess, Saegin!" Sora snarled.

"You can't be serious! Sora, they are going to kill you. You will never become a Shalieon, when you arrive at the north temple of the light goddess, they are going to put you down like a dog!"

Sora lifted his head defiantly. He knew. He knew what was going to happen to him. If that was his fate, then so be it.

"If that is what the light goddess wills."

The words were brave, but there was a slight quaver to Sora's voice, and Riku did not miss the glint of fear in the apprentice's eyes.

"Don't throw your life away like that! Come with me and I will protect you from this!"

Sora smiled grimly. "But who will protect me from you?" He shook his head. "You are the cause of _all_ of this, Saegin! Do you really think I'm stupid enough to go with my tormentor?"

"They are going to _kill_ you Sora!" Riku snarled, lunging forward and grabbing the apprentice's arm. "Your goddess is leading you to the slaughter, and you are letting her do it—blinded as you are by misplaced faith!"

"_And I would rather die than surrender to you_!" Sora snarled back, trying to yank his arm away. Riku's grip was firm, and he jerked the boy toward him and spun him around, pinning his arms behind his back.

"I have never met anyone as infuriatingly stubborn as you! Now I see why we put your kind to death when we come across one of you!"

"I wish you had killed me!" Sora spat. "Why don't you make up for your mistake and do it now?"

"Oh no, Windsinger," Riku's lips curved into a cold smile, and he gripped Sora tightly around the neck. "I promised I'd break you, didn't I?"

Sora struggled to breathe, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. Not only was he without his prayer beads, but he could not draw enough breath for a full command. He coughed violently in his desperate struggle to breathe, and he felt Riku's fingers loosen slightly from around his neck.

"Try to say anything and I will choke it off with the first word." Riku warned.

Sora shut his eyes, all he needed was one word…

"**_Breath_**!"

The wind spirits answered his command eagerly, immediately slamming a window open so it could sweep the mist from the room. Riku released Sora and took a few steps back in utter disbelief.

"You're a _Chosen_!"

"Yes," Sora spat, standing up straight and fixing his clothing. "I am the chosen of the light goddess; the one destined to carry out her divine will. I will never surrender to the forces of darkness, Saegin! You will never break me!"

Glowing white wind spirits began to drift lazily around Sora's frame, silently waiting for his command. Riku frowned, quickly regaining his poise. He lifted a hand that was bound with his prayer beads out to the side.

"If you were a fully trained Shalieon, your new station might impress me. As it is, you being a Chosen is like someone giving a sword to a newborn. You have no idea what it is your goddess's will really is. She has given you a burden that is too much for you to bear."

Saying nothing, Sora watched Riku's movements with a careful eye, knowing an attack would be soon, and almost dead sure of what it would be. Silence fell upon the room, the only movement coming from the wind spirits orbiting Sora.

Riku's hand twitched.

"**_Tears!_**"

"**_Breath!_**"

Water burst from the nearby pump, speeding toward Sora who had commanded the wind spirits to defend him. They caused the wind to slide through the attack, but the water quickly reformed and pushed Sora through the window behind him and out into the street.

His expression never changing, Riku turned and exited through the door, his movements casual. He had been correct; Chosen the boy may be, but he had no idea how to control the power he had been given. A Chosen may not need prayer beads to control the spirits as others did, but their presence did enhance the spirit's powers. Subduing the Windsinger would not be as easy as it was before, but it would not be too much of a problem.

"**_Wrath!_**"

As Riku stepped outside, the outer most garments covering his body suddenly burst into flame. Panic seizing his actions, he fell immediately to the ground, wriggling out of the dark material as he rolled around to smother the flames. Once free, he jumped to his feet, looking around with an angry snarl for Sora.

Instead of him, however, his eyes fell upon the slender form of the younger boy's instructor, the Journeyman Yuna.

"So, you survived. I'm impressed…_slightly_."

"You have cost me a promising student, young Saegin," Yuna said evenly. "And you are going to answer for everything you have done to him." She lifted her head a little, shifting her gaze to look behind Riku. "Sora! Distract him!"

"Shit." Riku hissed under his breath, taking a look behind him. Sora had a hand raised toward the sky, and Yuna must have given him his prayer beads, for they were draped between his fingers and were glowing a soft red.

"**_JUDGEMENT!"_**

Clouds swiftly covered the sky and thunder rumbled loudly above right before a massive bolt of lightning shot from the sky to the ground where Riku was. Because it took a while for the command to be obeyed, Riku was able to command the earth to surround him in a thick, but crudely made shield of rock.

"_I pray for _guidance_; spirits of wind, **ascend** onto the heavens and carry my request onto your eldest brother. Pray answer me, oh first born of the wind spirits, **Valfore**, mighty shield of the goddess of light!_"

Yuna held her staff in both hands, vertical from the ground. A bright beam of white light shot toward the heavens, splitting the clouds and the darkness and filling the area with a light as bright as day. Everything became silent for a moment, and then the wind began to howl as a brighter light descended from the sky at a breakneck speed.

Upon reaching the ground, it slowed, the winds from its Descent kicking up small particles of dirt and debris. Riku peeked out from his makeshift shield and frowned. It was one thing to face a Journeyman Shalieon.

It was another thing entirely to face one that could Ascend, or call a divine creature in service to the goddess.

"Dammit, that witch is going to make me reveal things I'm not ready to…"

Suspended above the ground, slowly flapping its massive bat-like wings was the divine creature known as Valfore. It was the mightiest of the wind spirits, and had chosen to use its power to shield the light goddess from danger as well as to guide her worshipers in moments of indecision.

Yuna gestured toward Riku with her rod and Valfore shot forward, using its powerful talons to rip apart Riku's crude shield. The Saegin fell back several paces, covering his face with his sleeve. This was quite a little dilemma he was in, there was no way he alone could take on the first born of the wind spirits—to even try would be suicide.

He also had a Journeyman and the Windsinger to worry about. He only had one choice—retreat.

"**_Dance!_**"

The earth churned to life, splitting the ground and shaking nearby buildings in their foundations. The attack did nothing to harm Valfore as it was flying, but Sora and Yuna had difficulty keeping their footing, and Riku slipped out of sight as the divine creature turned its attention to protecting the one who called it.

"No! He's getting away!" Sora wailed as the earthquake began to lose power and weaken.

"We have to let him go! We need to tend to the people of this city!" Yuna said through gritted teeth. She did not like the idea either, but pursuing the Saegin would mean neglecting innocent victims who may be in need of assistance. With a frustrated grunt, Sora turned to help Yuna check for any injured people.

Miraculously, there was no injuries more severe than a couple bruises. Yuna healed those who were hurt while Sora calmed the frightened people of the city by reciting a few of the seven hundred and seventy-seven verses of the sutra of the light goddess. The glow of a few fire spirits that still lingered near him caused the people to crowd around him as if _he_ were the _Mahatma_ of the Shalieon, seeking comfort and guidance.

Yuna watched this from a little ways away, her eyes betraying her conflicted emotions. Sora had been her student and travel companion for two years now, and she loved him as if he were her own son.

Yet he had been taken by one of the Saegin, defiled and marked. The Saegin continued to hunt him, and as a result, a Shalieon priest and several acolytes had been killed. Normally because of all this, Sora would be put to death to protect all of the Shalieon as well as keep Sora from falling to darkness, however…

Sora had just been revealed as a chosen and also one beloved by the spirits. Killing him would not only weaken the command of the spirits of the Shalieon but also of the Saegin as well.

So now his fate was to be locked away for the rest of his life in the high temple, never having direct contact with anyone save the _Mahatma_. He would be kept alone in a single room behind countless wards and locks with only the spirits for company. It was worse than his previous fate, because at least then his death would have been swift and his suffering ended.

…But this way, his death would be slow and torturous; he would go mad and suffer as no one should suffer. Yuna would not even wish this fate upon one of the Saegin.

Lowering her head, Yuna turned to finish her task.

"Sora…"

Their departure the next day was swift and unceremonious.

Yuna did not even wait for the sun to peek above the horizon; she and Sora were gone before first light.

Because they were both still very weary, Yuna Ascended, calling Valfore to aid in their travels. Valfore could help them travel much faster than they could normally, and it was now imperative that Sora reach the temple as quickly as possible. Yuna did not like it, but the Saegin was not giving her much choice.

The ride was smooth and uneventful, and Sora dozed off, unable to keep his eyes open. Yuna let him rest, for he would certainly need it when he came to face the _Mahatma_.

They soon reached the outskirts of the holy city of Orb, built underneath the majestic high temple of the light goddess.

The temple sat gracefully upon sixteen massive pillars high above the ground and the city built below it. Because of this, the city had little sunlight. It was gloomy and dark in the city of Orb, but the people did not care, for above them lived countless Shalieon priests and Journeyman; for those who worshipped the goddess of light, there was not a safer place to live than this.

Instead of being relieved to be so near her destination, Yuna instead felt more apprehension. Though safe from the Saegin they would most certainly be, Sora's suffering would worsen. The thought left a rather bad taste in Yuna's mouth.

Valfore swooped low as they approached the wide river that flowed toward and through the mighty city, picking up speed as it descended smoothly.

The gentle motion woke Sora from his light doze, and he looked around sleepily, his chest tightening when he saw how close they were to their destination.

"We're almost there…" Sora murmured. "Look, there's the old watchtower."

Yuna's eyes turned to where Sora was pointing to—a large patch of dark green forest with the very tip of a tall tower peeking out from the trees.

The building had been used to watch for invaders hundreds of years ago, before the high temple had been built over Orb. Now, the building had no use; abandoned as it had been, it stood crumbling and overgrown by plants.

Valfore suddenly veered to the left, causing its passengers to cling to the thick, feathery hair that flowed down the divine creature's back to keep from falling off. Valfore then veered to the right, and Yuna lifted her head to look around and see what was going on.

As soon as she did, a massive ball of water knocked her right off of Valfore's back and she went falling into the river below.

"_Lady Yuna_!" Sora cried as Yuna disappeared beneath the river's surface. Valfore dove sharply towards the water to collect its mistress, giving Sora a good view of the thing that attacked them.

It was blue, scaly and snakelike, with fin-like wings and jaws filled with rows of razor-sharp, white teeth. It thrashed about in the river with a terrible strength, lunging for Valfore with a vicious hiss. Sora was hurled from the divine creature's back as it dodged the attack, and he landed roughly on the bank of the river closest to the holy city.

"Sora—_RUN_!"

Sora turned to the voice and saw Yuna pulling herself from the water's edge. She coughed and gasped as she struggled to her feet, holding out a hand to stop Sora when he started over toward her.

"This is Leviathan, one of the three divine creatures that serve the dark goddess! The Saegin after you must be able to perform a Descent!"

Sora's eye's widened with understanding. Just as an Ascent can only be done by a Shalieon, only a Saegin can perform a Descent. Descending allows the Saegin to somehow _become_ the divine creature instead of call it, making it able to perform faster and more accurately.

However, an Ascended creature could fight alongside its summoner, making it far more deadly.

"I will hold him off! You must hurry to the temple!"

"But lady—"

"Once you are on holy ground, he can torment you no longer!" Yuna interrupted. "Hurry, Sora…run!"

With his heart twisting in his chest, Sora turned and did as he was told, running at full speed toward Orb while Yuna fended off the angry Leviathan who tried to go after Sora.

It thrashed its tail about and then slammed it down upon the surface of the water, and a massive ball of water rose from the river and shot toward Sora. The water ball splashed into the ground near him, sending him flying into the air again, but this time Sora had the presence of mind to command the wind spirits to cushion his fall.

Taking a breath, he looked at the forest that was now only a few yards away to his left. It would give him the cover he needed to get out of range of the creature's attack. Sora headed over toward it, praying Yuna could keep it occupied just long enough for him to reach the trees.

That prayer, it seemed, was answered; nothing interrupted Sora's flight toward the forest, and he made it safely. After passing the first couple rows of trees, Sora paused, turning his head toward where his instructor was battling.

"Goddess be with you…"

Sora turned after a moment and continued through the forest, dashing around trees as fast as he could. He ran until his lungs burned and his muscles ached. The small branches of bushes ripped his clothing and skin as he raced past them, but he continued on until he burst into a small clearing where the crumbling watchtower stood.

As he paused in the wake of the tall structure, his body decided to insist upon rest. Trying to breathe deeper and faster then he was able to caused him to fall to his hands and knees, coughing violently. Sweat ran in rivulets to the ground, and Sora stayed there until he was able to breathe normally, then pushed himself to his feet and staggered to the building.

Part of the watchtower wall had cracked and crumbled away, leaving a hole large enough for Sora to walk through. He peeked inside, hoping to find an abandoned weapon of some kind to protect himself should he be attacked when he left the forest.

Instead, Sora saw a huge statue of a woman in full armor. She was sitting upon a short wooden base with a gigantic sword in front of her. Her hands were tipped toward the ground as if ready to receive an offeringhands large enough to hold Sora with room to spare.

Forgetting that the building was in terrible shape and certainly not safe enough to be inside, Sora moved toward the statue and placed a hand onto the tip of the woman's finger.

"Why…is a statue of the goddess of light here?" Sora stared up at the stern expression on the statue's face for a long while before climbing into the cupped hands and curling up into a ball. Releasing a breath, the pain and anguish he had experienced over the past week washed over him in one huge wave, and he broke down.

"Goddess…" he sobbed when he had calmed somewhat. "Why is this happening? Are you testing me still? I don't—I don't know how much longer I can withstand this…!"

The only answer Sora received was the echo of his own cries resounding back to him. He shut his eyes, his tears of pain and confusion wetting the chilled stone beneath his head.

A chill suddenly ran down his spine to the small of his back and then something on his skin—the seal felt like it shattered.

"…Did she answer you?"

Sora shot straight up in the statue's hands, eyes wide with horror and disbelief. "No!" If he was here, what happened to—?

Riku walked into the building, ignoring Sora's outburst. "Has she explained to you why people had to die?"

"L-Lady Yuna…"

Riku snorted. "Most likely still fighting the _Mahatma_ of the Saegin. I told him that she was a Chosen…it was the only way to get him to help me."

Sora's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "But…but _I'm_ the Chosen…"

"Yes, and if I told him that, he would have tried to _kill_ you instead of simply slow you down." Riku paused at the base of the statue, and held out his hand. "Come down from there. You've given yourself to the light goddess—put yourself in her hands once before, and she did nothing to protect you. Why don't you try taking my hand? I won't ask you to give yourself to the dark goddess. All I ask is that you listen and trust what I tell you."

Sora looked at Riku for a full minute before slowly shaking his head.

"You have nerve," he said in a low hiss. "Take _your_ hand? You are the cause of all of this! Do you think I'm so stupid I would entrust myself to the one who promised to _break_ me!"

"I had hoped it would not be necessary." Riku said through his teeth. "But you are still giving me no choice. I will prove, once and for all how little your goddess values you."

Sora opened his mouth to command the spirits to protect him, but Riku swiftly lifted a hand. "**_Tears!_**"

Water formed at the tips of his fingers and shot toward Sora, choking the command off. Riku began to climb into the statue's hands with Sora, and every time Sora tried to speak a command, Riku doused him with water.

_Why is this happening? _Sora thought as Riku drew closer to him. _Haven't I passed your test of faith?_

Maybe…maybe this _wasn't_ a test. Why else would this be happening—_again_?

Maybe he just wasn't worth saving.

**_HOW…_DARE_…YOU!_**

Riku paused, feeling the very air vibrate with the power of an angry goddess. Fire and wind spirits began to drift through the air, singing hymns of praise in loud, otherworldly voices. Riku was suddenly slammed against the furthest wall, hard enough to knock the breath from his lungs.

**_THIS INSULT SHALL _NOT_ GO UNPUNISHED!_**

Riku was hurled into another wall and dropped onto the floor. When he managed to climb to his feet, he found himself lifted into the air, the fire spirits burning away his clothing and scorching his skin.

"**_AAAAAAGH!_**"

_**INSULT ME AGAIN, AND—CHOSEN ONE OF MY DARK REFECTION OR NO—I SHALL FLAY THY SOUL FROM THY FLESH WITH MINE OWN HANDS!**_

The fire spirits split apart from the wind spirits and gathered into four large balls of flame surrounding the statue of the light goddess's hands where Sora lay, still and trembling. Riku was then flung to the ground, naked and horribly scorched.

_**NOW FLEE, OR DIE WHERE YOU LAY!**_

Riku obeyed, not willing to test the now nonexistant patience of the goddess. Sora watched him make his escape and whimpered, fearing that he was next in receiving punishment. The goddess's voice softened, but Sora still cringed in fear.

_**Do not fear, faithful servant. I give onto thee my sword.**_

The fire generated by the fire spirits shot up toward the heavens in four mighty columns, meeting in a single point in a massive burst that made the sun seem dull. The fire then shot back toward the earth, hitting and destroying the ruins of the watchtower and from that flame rose a bird of gold.

Phoenix, first born of the fire spirits, mighty sword of the goddess of light.

It carried a cloth the color of rubies in its beak, and it stared at the boy in the statue's hands expectantly. Sora slid down and walked over to the proud creature, laying a hand hesitantly upon its golden feathers.

"You're so warm…"

Phoenix draped the cloth across Sora's shoulders and the boy leaned in and rested his forehead on the divine creature, taking the time to thank the light goddess for this precious gift.

_**Go now my servant, and do not fear the future, for you are the one who will carry out my will. **_

Sora lifted his head and stepped back, allowing Phoenix to go back to the heavens, now that he was no longer needed. The wind spirits danced around him, laughing and singing in their otherworldly voices, urging Sora to go on and face his destiny.

And tightening the red cloth around his body, Sora did just that.

_**Author's nonsense:** Long time no see, eh? Sorry 'bout that, everyone. I had a terrible time this summer. Anyway, welcome to Divine Sins! As was stated in the opening notes, this is a gift for Dark Ki because she's a sweetie, and I like spoiling friends!_

_Can you believe how long this chapter is? This is the longest chapter I have **ever** written! I hope you like it so far Ki, I'll probably cry if you don't!_

_I haven't forgotten about Pisces and Karma. Pisces is currently being rewritten because it has some serious problems, some I put there on purpose. If you want to know the full story of why I decided to do this, you can check out the author's note I posted at and on my livejournal( _my username is yamiyume

_I've also decided to do a posting every week to let anyone know how my writing is going and whatnot. This posting will be on my livejournal. So if you're curious, or just want to make a comment, bug my muses to get busy or threaten my life if I don't write faster, drop by anytime. The postings will be titled "Blue News" and will go up every week on either Monday or Friday._

_Whelp, I don't have much else to say except for REVIEW! Tell me what you think, I really want to know!_

_See you soon, I hope! _

_Ciao!_


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